history of "on/off" in belay commands... updated

Similar topics have been addressed here before, but I wanted to see if anyone knew the logic and history behind the accepted belay commands of on/off belay (specifically the "on/off" part)? I figure somewhere along the way the AMGA or AAC or whomever over in the UK 100 yrs ago must have thought, "my, those two words sound quite similar from far away, don't they? I wonder if we should use some other words?" But they didn't, and so my question is, why not? What made the use of "on" and "off" so much better than words that can't be mistaken for one another? Or was it just path dependency?

Again, just a climbing history question.

I can sya that in many other areas of the world the use of on/off is much less prevalent or even nonexistant. Commands such as "safe" or "dirt" being two that I've come accrss. In my lexicon of climbing commands which dates back over 40 years on/off were what I learned. I would have to say that my primary influence on an early formal level probably came out of the Sierra Club.

Belay has French origins, and had been used to convey any kind of 'rope management' onboard a sailing ship. All lines had to be managed and identified per each sail or set of sails.
Saying 'Belay On' or Belay Off is the way to respond back to the first call. They are short vocal commands for the full sentences that can't be heard over the wind or cliff. Things like "I am on belay" Your belay is ON' , or 'YOu are off belay' are the phrases they stand for.

Woodchuck ATC wrote:Belay has French origins, and had been used to convey any kind of 'rope management' onboard a sailing ship...

Yeah, that's as far as I got as well. I read in one online bit that Paul Petzoldt was the father of the voice climbing commands we know today. Don't know if that's true, but that's what one site said, so it's a lead.

Woodchuck ATC wrote:Belay has French origins,

This may be true, but I have anecdotal evidence otherwise. I've climbed a great deal with a French-Canadian climber from Quebec. When I first met him, whenever he would reach the top of the cliff, he would yell "SECURE!!" instead of "Off Belay". Back then, he had a really thick Quebecois accent, so "SECURE" sort of rhymed with "couture". I have taken to using that terminology as well, and I've borrowed the accent.

SECURE!!!

one way to tweak this what the NOLS instructors a few years ago were particularly emphatic on: ON belay, belay OFF.

admittedly this was a pretty long time ago, before I started multipitch and was dismissive of this. But it is really pretty good. I cant recall ever being confused using this method. I also try not to get hung on a specific "way". Communicating with my partner is more important than what words we use. One guy I climb with wont call at all. He tugs on the rope three times to tell me Im on belay and I start climbing.

Jay Knower wrote: This may be true, but I have anecdotal evidence otherwise. I've climbed a great deal with a French-Canadian climber from Quebec. When I first met him, whenever he would reach the top of the cliff, he would yell "SECURE!!" instead of "Off Belay". Back then, he had a really thick Quebecois accent, so "SECURE" sort of rhymed with "couture". I have taken to using that terminology as well, and I've borrowed the accent. SECURE!!!

You should read Will Gadd's rant about using the word "Secure": gravsports.blogspot.com/200…

Erik W wrote:Similar topics have been addressed here before, but I wanted to see if anyone knew the logic and history behind the accepted belay commands of on/off belay (specifically the "on/off" part)?

After checking a couple of sources (American Handbook of Mountaineering and Belaying the Leader 50's and 40's), I didn't run into those specific commands until the first edition of Mountaineering the Freedom of the Hills (1960 first edition).

Came with, "the following set has been found satisfactory but is offered merely as illustration."

Belayer (when ready with belay): "Belay on."

Climber (when safe): "Off Belay."

Belayer (responding): "Belay off."

I think the word "belay" is French, but, its never really been in use as a command per se in France or Canada?

Canada?

on belay: assuré

off belay (I am safely anchored and you may take me off belay): relais

belay off (I have taken you off belay): déassuré

France?

on belay (you are on belay): "je t'assure" or "tu es assuré(e)"

off belay (I am safely anchored and you may take me off belay now) "relai" or "vaché"

belay off (I have taken you off belay) avale

(Scarfed from tradgirl)

In a French climbing book, the translation for the "English" word "belay" is "relais".

I kind of think specific belay commands are fairly recent (ie, not 100 years old, but, maybe coming around in the 50's or 60's). Prior to that, the climbing game was a bit different. You had a designated leader who didn't fall, and, followers (sometimes clients) who got towed up on tension. There probably wasn't as big a need for specific commands. And really, modern belay techniques didn't really develop as we now know them until folks learned that they could actually catch a fall, etc. And really, until rope technology improved, falling just wasn't safe.

Kinda interesting history.

Anyone got any earlier reference books on belay commands?

Cheers.

when I started climbing (1970), I was told to use on-belay and off- belay because of the amount of syllables each had. This kept the syllables either decreasing in amount or increasing in amount as messages were exchanged. As in: on-belay (3), climbing (2), Climb (1). This was the because of being far apart on the cliff/mountain and difficulty hearing (especially over rivers or on windy days). That was why climbers used to say tension (2) or up-rope (2) for a tighter rope and slack (1) for a looser rope. Well....that all went to hell when "take" (1) became popular. I always thought that "take slack" should have been used to stay with the syllables thing! But that wasn't the "in" thing. There went that system (actually, I still use it when necessary as do most climbers).

ShaunG may be onto something, but I frequently use the 3 big pulls to communicate. (Ropes have gotten longer and crags are full of people yelling things.) It's all about ME. When I'M leading and finally safe and have them on belay, I pull 3 big times and wait to see what happens. When I'M following, I give 3 big pulls and see whether the rope moves up to make sure I'M safe as I'm doing the first few moves, or before I leave a hanging belay. It takes the confusion out and I don't have to yell. If the rope isn't moving on the pitch, one fast tug sends the message. If you need slack, just slowly down climb or apply slow pressure to the rope. (If I yell on route, it's probably for tension, generally not a problem; maybe I'm having to pull a nut and they know which nut they placed that's trouble.) A fall, or repeated falls may signal "tension.") Explain it before anyone leaves the ground and it all works out just fine. Somebody led it and knows where the problems are. This has worked for ME for 35 years. You have to take responsibility for YOUR end of the rope.

The word "belay" is of english origin, not french. A sailing term regarding the securing of ropes. Hence the use in climbing.

chriss wrote:The word "belay" is of english origin, not french. A sailing term regarding the securing of ropes. Hence the use in climbing.

You're right, Chris. Looking up the etymology, it's Old English, stemming likely from Dutch or the German, "beleggen."

Still can't find anything as to why we added on/off into the commands where other languages have independent words or phrases. It's been gnawing at me, maybe I'll give the AAC library a ring during lunch tomorrow.... because, yeah, I'm a dork like that.

So I ended up speaking with Adam McFarren at the AAC library about this question and he generously volunteered his time to look into the matter. Here's a copy+paste (with his permission) of the email he sent me after completing his research:


Here's what I've located so far. From the book "On Belay!: The Life of Legendary Mountaineer Paul Petzoldt" by Raye C. Ringholz has this on page 40:

"The difficultly in communication between climbers was another problem he tackled. Many European climbers got messages to one another by jerking on the rope one, two, or three times, with each signifying a special movement. More often, climbers just yelled, but Petzoldt had already realized that using too many words often resulted in sentences being lost in the wind or muffled around corners.
Instead of yelling to a client that he was belaying up a cliff, "Okay, Jim, I've got a pretty good belay over here and think I can hold you all right," he devised the Teton system of voice singals based on the number of syllables in each message.
The belayer would call only, "On belay." Three syllables.
The climber would call, "Climbing." Two syllables. Then, as a failsafe signal, the belayer would say, "Climb.""

The first edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (1960) has this on page 143:

"The following set has been found satisfactory but is offered merely as illustration.
Belayer (when ready with belay): "Belay on."
Climber: "Climbing."
Climber (when rope is too loose): "Up rope."
(when more rope is needed): "Slack."
(for a taut rope to hold his weight): "Tension."
Climber (when safe): "Off belay."
Belayer (repsponding): "Belay off."
Both (when needed): "ROCK!"
Climber (if it happens): "FALLING!""

The 1947 (2nd) edition of "Manual of Ski Mountaineering" (edited by David Bower - of Sierra Club fame) has these interesting instructions:
" (1) A, the leader, ties in, plans route, and awaits signal from B, the belayer.
(2) B ties in, assumes belay position, anchors if necessary, belays, and motions A to climb.
...
(5) When new belay position is reached, 10 feet or more from end of rope, A signals "Off belay" (two jerks on taut rope), takes in slack rope, assumes belay postion, anchors if necessary, signals "Climb" (two jerks). . . .
(6) B meanwhile replies "Off belay" (two jerks), takes off belay, answers "Climbing" (two jerks), follows A's route. . ."

Interesting to me that there is no mention of "On belay" in that system, just "Off belay". Also it's interesting that the 1969 edition of the Manual has the same commands.

The 1956 Sierra Club publication "Belaying the Leader: An Omnibus on Climbing Safety" by Richard M. Leonard (Bower was also a contributor among others) doesn't even use the word "belay" in the commands. On page 78 under "Rock Climbing Section Rules and Tests" is this:

4. Uniform signals should be used on the climbs. Before each climb the belayer should call "Test!" as soon as he is ready. Responding with "Testing!" the climber should gradually apply his full weight to the rope. When satisfied that he is prepared, the belayer should call "Climb!" whereupon the response "Climbing!" should precede the start of the ascent.

Adam McFarren
Library Volunteer
American Alpine Club Library

----

Interesting, to say the least. Big thanks to Adam at the AAC.

Just bumpin' it so it doesn't get lost in the Friday get-no-work-done posting frenzy.

Erik W wrote:So I ended up speaking with Adam McFarren at the AAC library about this question and he generously volunteered his time to look into the matter. Here's a copy+paste (with his permission) of the email he sent me after completing his research: Here's what I've located so far. From the book "On Belay!: The Life of Legendary Mountaineer Paul Petzoldt" by Raye C. Ringholz has this on page 40: "The difficultly in communication between climbers was another problem he tackled. Many European climbers got messages to one another by jerking on the rope one, two, or three times, with each signifying a special movement. More often, climbers just yelled, but Petzoldt had already realized that using too many words often resulted in sentences being lost in the wind or muffled around corners. Instead of yelling to a client that he was belaying up a cliff, "Okay, Jim, I've got a pretty good belay over here and think I can hold you all right," he devised the Teton system of voice singals based on the number of syllables in each message. The belayer would call only, "On belay." Three syllables. The climber would call, "Climbing." Two syllables. Then, as a failsafe signal, the belayer would say, "Climb."" The first edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (1960) has this on page 143: "The following set has been found satisfactory but is offered merely as illustration. Belayer (when ready with belay): "Belay on." Climber: "Climbing." Climber (when rope is too loose): "Up rope." (when more rope is needed): "Slack." (for a taut rope to hold his weight): "Tension." Climber (when safe): "Off belay." Belayer (repsponding): "Belay off." Both (when needed): "ROCK!" Climber (if it happens): "FALLING!"" The 1947 (2nd) edition of "Manual of Ski Mountaineering" (edited by David Bower - of Sierra Club fame) has these interesting instructions: " (1) A, the leader, ties in, plans route, and awaits signal from B, the belayer. (2) B ties in, assumes belay position, anchors if necessary, belays, and motions A to climb. ... (5) When new belay position is reached, 10 feet or more from end of rope, A signals "Off belay" (two jerks on taut rope), takes in slack rope, assumes belay postion, anchors if necessary, signals "Climb" (two jerks). . . . (6) B meanwhile replies "Off belay" (two jerks), takes off belay, answers "Climbing" (two jerks), follows A's route. . ." Interesting to me that there is no mention of "On belay" in that system, just "Off belay". Also it's interesting that the 1969 edition of the Manual has the same commands. The 1956 Sierra Club publication "Belaying the Leader: An Omnibus on Climbing Safety" by Richard M. Leonard (Bower was also a contributor among others) doesn't even use the word "belay" in the commands. On page 78 under "Rock Climbing Section Rules and Tests" is this: 4. Uniform signals should be used on the climbs. Before each climb the belayer should call "Test!" as soon as he is ready. Responding with "Testing!" the climber should gradually apply his full weight to the rope. When satisfied that he is prepared, the belayer should call "Climb!" whereupon the response "Climbing!" should precede the start of the ascent. Adam McFarren Library Volunteer American Alpine Club Library ---- Interesting, to say the least. Big thanks to Adam at the AAC.

page 40 of On Belay then mentions Petzoldts award of a climbing concession in Teton in 1929. So then his command method is established in the mid 20's?